Downspout hook and method of making same



July 4, 1950 M. RACHLIN 2,514,256

DOWNSPOUT HOOK AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed June 18, 1948 MAX 1640/4M/ M jrzazwb Patented July 1, 1950 UNITED DOWNSPOUT HOOK AND METHOD OFMAKING SAME Max Rachlin, Flushing, N. Y.

Application June 18, 1948, Serial No. 33,894

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a downspout hook and method of making same,and the primary object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedhook and process of its manufacture from a strip of metal stock, such aswire stock, having any desired cross-sectional configuration such asround, square, rectangular, triangular, etc., whereby a reatlyreinforced, strong, hardened hook is produced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a downspout hook from astrip of metal stock, such as wire stock, which possesses greaterstrength than the strength of the metal initially, and one which has noweakened twisted portions and is not damaged by hammering.

A further object of the invention is to provide a downspout hook formedfrom a strip of metal stock, such as wire stock, in which the drivingtang is generally offset from but merges into one end of the hookportion, the driving end of the driving tang and that portion of thehook where the hook portion thereof connects with or merges into thedriving tang is of thickened or reinforced construction, and the hookportion is reinforced by an exterior flattened rib portion, whereby thedownspout hook, as thus strengthened, is insured of a permanentconfiguration, whether the hook portion be semicircular, semi-hexagonal,or any other configuration.

An additional object of the invention relating to the method of formingthe downspout hook, is to upset or otherwise thicken the metal blankfrom which the hook is formed at that portion thereof which ultimatelybecomes the driving end portion of the driving tang and the connectingor merging portions of the tang and hook portion.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the descriptionproceeds, reference being made to the accompanying drawing forming apart of the present disclosure, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a strip of metal, such as wire stock, after ithas been cut to proper length and illustrating as the second step of myinvention one form of upset or metal thickening step that may beperformed in the formation Fig. 3 is a plan view of the strip of metalafter the driving tang and that portion ofthe hook portion mergingtherewith have been die-pressed,

illustrating the fourth step in the formation of the hook;

Fi 4 is a plan view of the strip of metal after it has been trimmed,illustrating the fifth step in the formation of the hook;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of one of the completed hooks,illustrating in this instance the hook portion bent into the form of asemicircle, which is the sixth and final step in'the' formation of thehook;

Figs, 6 and 7 are enlarged sectional views taken along the lines 6-45and '|--1, respectively,

of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figs. 6a and 7a are sectional views similar to Figs. 6 and 7,respectively, illustrating modified cross-sectional configurations ofthe wire stock and the upset, respectively;

Fig. 8 is a sectional View taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 2, lookingin the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 9 9 of Fig. 4,looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of a stripof metal illustrating afurther modified form of.

upset.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein Figs. 1 to 9 illustrate the hookand one manner of making it, a strip of metal stock, such as wire stock,of steel, stainless steel, copper, or any is formed in the blank I willdepend upon the I 9 length of the hook portion relative to the'length iof the driving tang, but in any event will approximate the point atwhich the driving tang merges into the hook portion of the hook, i. e.,'

at the driving end portion of the driving tang, whereby an increasedmass of metal is provided as such merging point. Thus, as illustrated inFig. 1,'the upset 2 divides the blank I substantially into a hookportion'3 and a driving tang portion 4'; Although it is preferred toform the thickened portion 2 by an upsetting process, in-

sofar as the invention is concerned such'thickened portion may be formedby other processes, if desired, such as forging, etc.

As the next step in the processillustrated in Fig. 2, the hook portion 3of the blank 'I is die-" 3 pressed to provide a finished, pressed hook 5having substantially a T-shape in cross-section as illustrated in Fig.8. The hook portion 5 thus comprises a relatively wide downspoutengaging surface 6 and an outstanding reinforcing rib I.

Simultaneously with the die-pressing of the hook portion 3, the drivingtang portion 4 including the 'upset =12.' are offset from the hookportion by bending the blank as indicated at 8. The axes of the portions4 and 5 at this stage may be said to be spaced and substantiallyparallel.

The next step in the process is to die-press or flatten the driving tangportion 4 including ,the upset or thickened portion 2, as illustrateddn'Fig 3, and this step is followed by a 'lZIiIl'lll'iil'lg'StSp-r in whichthe flattened tang portion 9 is trimmed I along the broken line H) andthe free end-of the hook portion 5 is trimmed along the broken line 1 IVto give the'blank l'the shape illustrated in Fig.4"; 1

As indicated-inTigs'. 3; 4, 5 and 9, the flattening r; I step provides adriving tang I2 having tapering. opposed surfaces :13, M provided'withserrations I5, and-the'tang .12 isiso trimmed as to provide" taperingside edges 16, II.

It willbe obvious-that the upset or thickened portion 2; when flattened,provides ,athicken'ed 4 and --high1yxreinforced driving end portion .18for thecidrivingtang. ofiset from the hook portion a 5, as well as athickened andz highly reinforced" portion!!! where the driving tang I2merges'into' the hook portion 51 Theifinal step in the process is tobend the 3 hOOkLDOlfiDnQEiintflf its desiredrconfiguration toform :thefinished hookv20 illustrated in Fig. 5. The downspout hook-oft thepresent invention-is i adapted to be used with downspouts of variouscross-sectiomsuch as circular, rectangular,flhexar-go agonal or anyother zparticular'shape. -The' form of hook chosen for illustration isadapted to be usedwith' a' circularvdownspout and hence as ile.lustrated,:the hookportion'i is'bentinto the form of a semi-circle.Obviously, however; the hook Afi portionr Srmay .be'given-asemi-hexagonalz'shape 1 to receive a hexag'onal downspoutpor itmay: be given substantially a U-shape to receive a rec-" tangulandownspouts The downspout h'ook 20 provided by my'invention is. ofunusually strong and 'rigid constructioni- :The'reinforc'ed driving endof the tan'g is not damaged: by hammering even when driven into mortarormasonry. In addition, the'thick ened -andreinforced merging portion l9functions 55 to eliminate -bending at this point-and thus-move, mentiofthei-free end 2! of the hook portion' -S 6 relativeito the tank i2 iseliminated, even wheri the tang -isdriven into mortar "or masonry.

Figi fia illustrates that the wire' blank! need 160 not ne'cessarilyhaveacircular cross=sectionibut l mayxiif. desired; have a: rectangularor square-"- crosssectioncas indicated at I;

Fig-. 'Ta similarly illustrates that-the upset or thicken'edrportionflneed not necessarily have a': circular cross section but may-have anydesired cross-sectional c'onfig'uratioiisuch as rectangular or square,as indicatedat 2',-and Fig: 10 illustrates thatstherupseti-or thickenedportion'z'! may be cc elongated if desireds'f It wili-zb'e obvious,:iof.course,-"that"the stripi'or wire stcckwmayzhave any'desiredi'cross-sectional shape, and that the upset or thickened portionmay have Barrydesired t'shape and-need: not neces-:

sarily be formed symmetrical-with respect to the 25 axis of the blank.All of the thickened portion may be formed on one side of the axis ofthe blank if desired, and, as pointed out above, it is immaterial howsuch thickened portion is formed. In fact, the thickened portion may beso shaped and positioned as to eliminate the need for the bend 8, Fig.2.

From the preceding description, it will be seen that I have provided adownspout hook cold worked from a strip of metal stock, such as wirestock, in which the driving end of the driving tang-and that portion ofthe hook where the hook portion;thereofmerges into the driving tang isof thickened or reinforced construction, and in whichthe hook portion isof reinforced construction'; whereby the downspout hook, as thusstrengthened, is insured of a permanent configuration, the driving endof the tang is not damaged by hammering, and bending at the point wherethe tange merges into the hook portion is eliminated, even'though thetang be driven into mortar or masonry.

Other modes of applying the principle of my" invention may be employedinstead of the ones explained; change being made-as regards the articleand the steps herein disclosed, provided those statedby any-of thefollowing claims or their-equivalent be employed;

I claim:

I. In a downspout hook cold worked from strip a metal stock, comprisinga-tapered driving tang formed of pressedmetal stock and. a hook portionformed from the same stock, said hook portion having'a plane inner faceand a'reinforced permanent configuration, said :drivingtang merging intosaid-hookportion'and' having a 'drivingrend offset therefrompmeansfor"substantially eliminating bending in saidrhook at'the'point' of merge 3in of saidrhook portionwithsaididriving tang during the-drivingi'ofsaidtang, said meanscon sistingrof an increased mass of metal at the mergingpoint;

2. In a method of makinggawdownspouthookcold WOIKEdIfI'Om StIiP metalstock; said hook: comprising a tapered driving'tang and hook'x portion Iof reinforced permanent-- configuration, said driving-tang mergingintosaid hook portion and having a driving endofisettherefrom',-:;thesteps comprisingiforming 'a thickened portion: in' astrip metal blank substantially at the point of. w. merging of said:hookr portion with said driving tang, fwherebyian increased mass ofmetal is pror videdat suchimergingpoint, then pressing said T metalblank including said thickened portion to strengthen and taper twoopposed surfaces of I 5' one endrportion thereof to partiallyform'n-said' x? drivingztangiand to" strengtheniand reinforce :the otherend portion thereof, trimming said onez r end portion? 'of'isaid' blankto finally form said 'driv-i. ing tangfand bendingsaidrother end portionof said blank :tO form "said hook portion; said inrt: creased mass ofmetalsubstantially eliminating bending-tin said hook at the point ofmerging of, said hookportion with said driving tangzxdurss ing thedriving of said tang.

3. In atmethod' of making adownspout hookcomprising a tapereddriving'tangt and. a" hook": i portion .of reinforced?- permanent:configuration,

said driving tangrmerging intosaid hookzportion a and having" 'a'drivingr'end': offset therefrom, the; steps-comprising; formingathickened portion in, :r" a strip metalblankysubstantiallysat'theipoint'iof, merging of said hook portion withsaid ,dl'iVn in'g tang, whereby an increased:.-massmt metal 157":

coldriworkedzfrom istrip metal'stock, said hook provided at such mergingpoint in one end portion of said blank, pressing the other end portionof said metal blank to strengthen and reinforce said other end portionthereof and simultaneously imparting a bend in said blank between saidend portions, pressing said one end portion of said metal blankincluding said thickened portion to strengthen and taper two opposedsurfaces of said one end portion to partially form said driving tang,trimming said one end portion of said blank to finally form said drivingtang, and bending said other end portion of said blank to form said hookportion, said increased mass of metal substantially eliminating bendingin said hook REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,365,971 Rachlin Dec. 26, 19442,438,884 Kropp Mar. 30, 1948

